Bebop 2 Vs Mavic (Air, Pro, and Platinum)

The Bebop 2 is Parrot’s powerful mini-drone, but how does it compare to DJI’s Mavic range. We will compare these aircraft across a range of categories to determine which is best. Their cameras, flight capabilities, and other features will be analysed. We will then award points for each section so that you can determine the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Once that’s done, we will let you know the best drone to get, depending on your budget and requirements.

Flight Time

A drone’s ability to stay airborne depends on its battery life. The weather conditions can also have a significant impact on flight time. We have listed the maximum durations each model can stay in the sky before their battery is depleted.

Model

Max Flight Time (minutes)

Bebop 2

25

Mavic Air

21

Mavic Pro

27

Mavic Pro Platinum

30

A good way to double this flight time is to simply purchase a spare battery. Many bundle deals include one. You should then keep the spare one fully charged so that you can land the drone, swap the batteries, and be airborne again.

Max Speed

It’s a very tight race between these four drones, however, the Mavic Air inches ahead with a 42mph max speed. Just remember, these velocities are only possible when flying horizontally in ideal wind conditions.

Model

Max Speed (mph)

Bebop 2

40

Mavic Air

42

Mavic Pro

40

Mavic Pro Platinum

40

Overall two miles per hour isn’t really much of a difference, so we will call this section a draw.

Longest Range

When we refer to the range, what we mean is the maximum transmission distance between the drone and its controller. Any further than that and the connection will drop out for sure.

As you can see in the table below, the Mavic Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum have the longest ranges of 4.3 miles. These are because they incorporate DJI’s Lightbridge downlink technology, which allows for a much stronger connection, between drone and controller, than traditional Wi-Fi downlink technology.

You will also notice that the Mavic Air comes in second with a 2.4-mile range, while the Bebop 2 is rather limited with a 1.2-mile range.

Model

Max Flight Range (miles)

Bebop 2

1.2

Mavic Air

2.4

Mavic Pro

4.3

Mavic Pro Platinum

4.3

+1 for the Mavic Pro

+1 for the Mavic Pro Platinum

Recording High-Definition Video

Capturing videos from the skies is one of the coolest reasons to get a drone. The Mavic drones can all record 4K (ultra-high definition) video at 30 frames per second. They can also record 2.7K and 1080p.

While the Bebop 2 still has a powerful camera, 2.7K and 4K recording capabilities are becoming standard for drone cameras.

Model

Top Video Modes

Bebop 2

1080p at 30fps

Mavic Air

4K at 30fps

Mavic Pro

4K at 30fps

Mavic Pro Platinum

4K at 30fps

+1 for the Mavic Air

+1 for the Mavic Pro

+1 for the Mavic Pro Platinum

Snapping Still Shots

The more megapixels a drone’s camera has, the higher the quality of the still shots. The Mavic drones all have 12-megapixel cameras, while the Bebop 2 has a slightly better one with 14 megapixels. This will allow its users to take crisper and sharper photos.

Model

Megapixels

Bebop 2

14

Mavic Air

12

Mavic Pro

12

Mavic Pro Platinum

12

+1 for the Bebop 2

Obstacle Detection

To prevent user error, many drones come equipped with obstacle detection systems. These are usually a combination of camera-based and infrared sensors. If a drone is about to collide with an obstruction, then these sensors will kick in and abruptly halt the drone’s flight.

The Mavic Pro (original and platinum) drones have forwards and downwards facing detection systems. This hi-tech equipment can identify a range of objects, such as fences, branches, and even wire mesh.

Now the Mavic Air takes obstacle detection to the next level. It not only has frontwards and downwards facing sensors but also those that face backward. Not only that, if these systems do detect an obstacle, then the drone can automatically recalculate its flight so that it can avoid a collision without having to stop in place.

Unfortunately, the Bebop 2 does not incorporate any form of obstacle avoidance technology.

+1 for the Mavic Air

Controller Ease Of Use

The Mavic drones all have very similar controllers. They are small and portable while having two control sticks and an array of buttons for flight and camera options. At the top is a mount for attaching a smartphone or tablet. This is necessary to operate intelligent flight modes using the DJI App (more about his soon).

The only real differences are that the Mavic Pro drones have a small LCD screen built into their controllers. This screen can be used to display flight data (speed, altitude, etc). The Mavic Air’s controller does not have an inbuilt screen.

Now the Bebop 2 makes use of Parrot’s Skycontoller 2. This is a large device with handles on each side. Each handle has a control stick and an array of buttons. In the center of the controller, there is a mount for attaching a smartphone or tablet. This controller functions in a similar way to those of the Mavic drones, however, it is bulkier and a bit more awkward to handle.

Overall, we prefer the Mavic controllers. They are more ergonomic and portable.

+1 for the Mavic Air

+1 for the Mavic Pro

+1 for the Mavic Pro Platinum

Navigation and Positioning

All drones make use of GPS and GLONASS positioning to accurately determine their position, as well as the position of their home point. They can all navigate effectively with a low chance of a flyaway occurring.

Overall this category is a draw.

Intelligent Flight Modes

Each drone has a range of nifty flight modes that can help users take photos and videos from any angle. These modes can also help with hands-off flight. To use these them, you will need to download the DJI App or Parrot’s FreeFlight Pro App. Get this software up and running on your tablet or smartphone and then mount the device to your controller. You’re then ready to go.

The Mavic Pro modes include:

Waypoints: Allows pilots to set a designated flight path using waypoints.

Tapfly: Allows pilots to tap a point on the DJI App. The drone will then fly directly to that position.

Activetrack: Pilots can select a subject, which the drone will then follow.

The Mavic Air has some brand new modes, which include:

Boomerang: Causes the drone to fly away from a subject and then return to it. The subject is kept in the camera frame the entire time.

Asteroid: This causes the drone to fly all kind of angles around its operator while keeping them in the camera frame.

The Bebop 2 has its own version of the boomerang, waypoint, and activetrack modes.

Overall it’s hard to determine a clear winner in this category. There are many similarities between the Bebop 2’s modes and the Mavic series modes.

Portability

The Mavic Air weighs 430g, the Bebop 2 weighs 500g, and both Mavic Pro models weigh around 740g. The Mavic Air is also the smallest drone. It can also fold down to the size of a smartphone.

If you want a high tech aircraft that can easily slip in your pocket, then the Mavic Air is the best option.

+1 for the Mavic Air

Price

We have listed the approximate Amazon price for each drone below. These figures are for new models with a controller.

Model

Approximate Price

Check Current Price

Bebop 2

$450

Mavic Air

$800

Mavic Pro

$900

Mavic Pro Platinum

$1,000

You can also buy spare batteries for each drone for around $40-$100. Otherwise, look to get one included in a bundle deal.

The Bebop 2 is the most affordable.

+1 for the Bebop 2

Total Scores

Check out the overall scores below.

Model

Score

Bebop 2

2 (Megapixels, price)

Mavic Air

4 (Portability, obstacle avoidance, controller, video recording )

Mavic Pro

3 (Flight range, controller, video recording)

Mavic Pro Platinum

4 (Flight time, flight range, controller, video recording)

As you can see, we have a tie between the Mavic Pro Platinum and the Mavic Air.

We have also made it easy to compare each drone by using the table below.

Which Drone Should You Buy?

It’s a tough decision between the Mavic Air and Mavic Pro Platinum. The Pro has a significantly longer range and flight time. However, it lacks the obstacle avoidance abilities and portability of the Air.

There is no doubt that the Air is a feat of engineering, especially considering that such a powerful machine can fold down to the size of a smartphone. In saying this, we still feel that the Pro is the better option for most pilots. Flight time and range are just such crucial factors, and the Pro does them the best.

If you’re really on a tight budget, then get the Bebop 2. You will still be getting a drone with powerful flight capabilities and a decent camera. It can’t compete with the Mavic drones, but that’s understandable. At around half the price tag, it is aimed at beginner pilots, rather than those that need the best technology.

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Nice review! One issue though; megapixels do not inherently equate to better quality photos. Some of the first professional dSLR cameras had 4-12 megapixel cameras, with amazing optics to really drive amazing photos. The general consensus is that 8 megapixel is the minimum to print a high res photo on an 8×10 with minimal cropping. I would take a photo from a professional grade Nikon D2h over any of these drones, or phone’s cameras with higher megapixel counts.

I hope you do look into some about sensor tech. It’s quite interesting. Pixel size, sensor size, lens optics, all variables that influence the image quality of cameras.